About School District No. 73

School District No. 73 (Kamloops/Thompson) provides Public Education Programs in the City of Kamloops, and the municipalities of Chase, Barriere, Logan Lake, and Clearwater. Many smaller communities make up our district, from Savona in the west, to Westwold in the southeast and to Blue River in the north. The population of this region is approximately 103,000. The majority of the school district’s residents live in Kamloops.

The district’s student population in September 2016 was 14,137. This number includes 406 continuing education and adult learners, 1,093 students in French Immersion, 8,621 kindergarten to grade 7 students, and 5,516 students in grades 8 through 12. The district employs 1,113 full time, part time, and relief educators and more than 759 support staff.

First Nations/Aboriginal students continue to represent approximately 2,298 students or about 15% of our population. Seven First Nations bands contribute to the richness of our communities: the Kamloops Indian Band, the Whispering Pines-Clinton Band, the Skeetchestn and Simpcw Bands, and the the Bands of Adams Lake, Little Shuswap and Neskonlith. In addition, the district enjoys the support and contributions of the Métis Nation and the Interior Indian Friendship Society.

Ninety-seven percent of our students speak English in the home, with Punjabi being the next most spoken language at less than one percent.

The district currently has 32 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 10 secondary schools, 1 Kindergarten to Grade 12 school, 2 alternate education programs and 1 distance education school. Enrolment in our schools has been decreasing and is predicted to continue to decline until it levels off at around 13,000 students. Declining enrolment has brought significant challenges for the district, resulting in the closure of 3 schools and the reconfiguration of a number of other schools at the start of the 2009/2010 school year.